Trying to pick up the pieces
by Sirius-forever221
Summary: AU- At little over a year of age, little Harry Potter has lost a mother and been abandoned by a father – Who will pick up the pieces?
1. Suspicions, late nightsand cheap perfume

TRYING TO PICK UP THE PIECES.

Chapter one: Suspicions, late nights and cheap perfume.

Lily Evans-Potter sat in the living room of her Godrics Hollow mansion; Her 8-month-old son was playing with one of the many toys that cluttered the floor giggling every time we grasped the flying toy-snitch with his chubby, baby fist.

"Going to make seeker for sure" came a familiar voice from the doorway,

"Sirius!" Lily exclaimed upon looking-up and seeing her husband's best friend "your early"

"PAFOOH!" Harry squealed excitedly and proceeded to crawl as fast as he could towards his Godfather.

"Couldn't wait to see my favorite Godson, could I?" he asked as he picked the giggling Harry up who immediately started to pull at his hair.

"Favwite?" Harry asked curiously

"Yes Harry favorite as in, who's your _favorite_ godfather?" Sirius replied then proceeded to mouth "PADFOOT" over and over.

"PAFOOH!" Harry said clapping eagerly "PAFOOH, FAVWITE!"

"Excellent, Kiddo!" Sirius said enthusiastically "See, Lily, I am his favorite!"

Lily rolled her eyes "that's just because you spoil him rotten"

"I'm aloud to, its part of the ultra-secret Godson/Godfather code that I must always spoil him," he answered "Isn't that right, little Harry?"

Harry nodded vigorously, "CODE" he said "ULTWA SECWET"

Sirius laughed "yep, and as the code also states I must teach him marauderly-type-things" he shook his head in mock-despair and sighed dramatically "Sometimes being a Godfather is so hard, ah well, we must do as we must"

Lily snorted "Poor you, because, well, being a parent is just a walk in the park"

"That's what I tell Remus!"

"And then I, having normally been up _all _night with Logan, hex you to next Wednesday" a new, if slightly irritated voice said as Remus 'Moony' Lupin walked into the room holding his 6-month-old son: Logan Evan Lupin.

"HAWY!" Logan shrieked struggling to get to get from his father's arms so he could play with his best friend, Remus set him down on the floor and he crawled over to were Harry was playing with Sirius on the Floor.

"GET PAFOOH" Harry shouted and he and Logan crawled on top of Sirius, one on each arm successfully pinning him,

'Ah! Attack of the baby's, their rebelling!" Sirius cried, "I'm going down! Abandon ship! Woman and children first! Man the lifeb-"

"What's all this yelling about?" The curious, amused voice that belonged to Peter Pettigrew asked as he to joined the little gathering.

'My own godson has turned against me!' Sirius said dramatically, he turned to Harry "and I thought you cared",

"Me sowy Pafooh, me wove wo" Harry said in fake-remorse, his emerald green eyes gazing innocently up at his Godfather.

Sirius' heart melted "Aw! I love you too, kiddo".

"You realize that he's just twisting you around his little finger" Peter said

"Shut-it Peter, you're ruining the Godson/Godfather moment," Sirius snapped

"Sorry" Peter said holding up hands in defeat "I'll let you get on with your moment"

"It's over now," Sirius said sulkily as he watched Harry crawl over to play with Logan.

"Why did you call us over here, Lily?" Remus asked, "you didn't say much in the letter, but it seemed important"

"It is, but we have to wait until James gets back" she answered as she busied herself picking up Harry's toys.

"Where is he?" Sirius asked, as he looked at his watch "It's pretty late", "too late for you to be up" he added to his Godson

"Me?" Harry asked innocently

"Yes you, but as the Godfather/Godson code states I must spoil you rotten, so as much as I don't want to I'm _forced _to allow you to stay up" Sirius answered the 8-month-old.

'Twank wo"

"Your very welcome"

"James is at work," Lily answered _'again, or is he? NO! He wouldn't, would he?'_

"Oh?" Sirius asked, eyebrows raised suspiciously _'He wasn't there when I left, he gets home late and leaves work early, maybe...NO! I mustn't think that! He wouldn't, would he?'_

"What do you mean by that?" Lily asked, slightly on edge

"Just that he's overworked' Sirius said hurriedly "he was still their when I left to come here",

'_If I don't think he would do it then why am I lying for him?'_ Sirius thought to himself _'Maybe I'll talk to him about it late, but that would mean I doubt him and he wouldn't do that to Lily...to Harry...would he?_ '

Sirius shook these thoughts from his head "So Remus, how's the job hunting going?" In an attempt to change the subject, as Lily's eyes were drilling into him as if he held the answer to her unsaid question,

'Good, Good" Remus answered catching on to what Sirius was trying to do, "I'm glad I've got something to take my mind off...Abby," he added sadly.

Lily ripped her eyes away from Sirius so fast that he suspected she'd given herself whiplash and put a comforting hand on Remus' shoulder,

"She would be happy about what a good job you're doing in raising Logan" Lily said immediately feeling guilty for worrying about her own problems when Remus had lost his wife, her best friend, when she died six months earlier giving birth to Logan and living just long enough after the birth to hold and name him.

"I hope so, I just wish that she could have seen him grow up" Remus said as he watched his son play,

There was a sad silence, which was interrupted by the slam of the door and a call of "Lily!" from James as he came in.

He came in to the lounge and greeted his friends before announcing," Well it's late, I'm off to bed"

"James!" Lily called after him as he started to leave

"What?" he asked sharply

"We have to talk to them about what Albus told us!"

"You can tell them, can't you?" he asked wearily "It's been a long day"

"This is about your son's _life_!"

"WHAT?" three alarmed voices said urgently

"What about my godsons life?" Sirius asked anxiously, picking Harry up and holding him close as if a crazy murderer would come running into the room at any second,

"Lily can tell you" James said in an annoyed voice and went up stairs ignoring his wife's protests.

Lily went back into the lounge and slumped back down on her chair,

"Maybe...maybe he's just had a long day?" there was a desperate and hopeful edge to Remus voice,

Lily looked straight into his amber-eyes with her tear-filled emeralds and whispered, "Then why does he smell like cheap perfume?"


	2. Time changes everything and everyone

TRYING TO PICK UP THE PIECES

Chapter two: Time changes everything

It had been nine months since that night in the Potter's living room.

Nine months since they had learned there was a prophecy...and a traitor.

Eight months since Sirius, Moony and Wormtail confronted James.

Eight months since he promised to be faithful to Lily.

Eight months since he had lied.

One week since Dumbledore informed them a secret-keeper was needed.

Five days since Peter Pettigrew had been chosen.

One hour since Sirius Black had gone to check on Peter.

One hour since he had found Peter gone and no sign of a struggle.

And now Sirius Black was racing to Godrics Hollow as fast as his enchanted motorbike could fly. _'Damn you, Peter' _he thought maliciously _'if anything has happened to any of them, you are going to wish you had never been born'._

He began descending down to the Potter's house, but before it even came into view he knew that something was terribly wrong, the stench of smoke was hanging in the air. Thick, black smoke billowed up from the direction of the Potters house- and then he saw the house itself.

Ruins, flaming ruins that were swarming with those hooded filth that called themselves death eaters as they threw curses at the house itself and the Order of the Phoenix members that were fending them off and defending the home (and most likely bodies) of its former members and their child.

Sirius landed as the last of the Death eaters dissaperated satisfied at the damage they had caused to the newly appointed wizarding world savior and vanquisher of their Lord. If the brat was still in the house-he was dead.

Remus rushed up to him and grabbed Sirius by the scuff of the neck,

"HOW COULD YOU?" he screamed into his fellow marauders face, "TO LILY? TO JAMES? TO HARRYYOUR GODSON? HE"S ONLY ONE YEAR OLD AND YOU SENT VOLDEMORT AFTER HIM?"

"Remus?"

"AND YOU HAVE THE NERVE TO SHOW UP HERE? TO HELP YOUR _FRIENDS _DEMOLISH THE HOUSE, I SUPPOSE?"

"Remus?"

"I SHOULD HAVE GUESSED, AFTER THAT LITTLE PRANK IN SIXTH YEAR! YOU NO-GOOD, FILTHY, PATHETIC –"

"I WASN"T THE SECRET KEEPER!" Sirius bellowed at the werewolf throwing him off mid angry-rant.

"Explain" Remus demanded not letting go of Sirius; he wasn't ready to believe him just yet.

"I swapped with Peter' Sirius said regretfully 'I told them to, and know there all...dead"

"Um, Sirius?" Remus said hesitantly, still not knowing for sure if he was a death eater.

"What?"

"Harry and James aren't dead"


	3. The truth hurts

TRYING TO PICK UP THE PIECES

Chapter three: The truth hurts.

---------------

"_I swapped with Peter' Sirius said regretfully 'I told them to, and now there all...dead"_

"_Um, Sirius?" Remus said hesitantly, still not knowing for sure if he was a death eater._

"_What?"_

"_Harry and James aren't dead"._

_---------------_

It seemed to take a while for Remus' statement to sink in; Sirius simply stared dumbfounded at his friend who cautiously let him go.

A few of the order members who had drawn their wands let them drop from were they had aimed them at Sirius throat, he looked genuinely... their was no other word for it-happy, shocked, but happy non the less.

'But, how? I mean, the house" he gestured wildly at the smoldering rubble where the Potters house had once stood.

"Harry survived the killing curse" Dumbledore said his hand still grasping his wand wearily as he stepped forward from the group behind the two marauders.

"What?!" Sirius cried 'Where is he?"

"Why should we tell you?" one of the younger order members demanded "you probably just want to finish the job your master started!"

'I would never harm my godson!" Sirius exclaimed, obviously disgusted by the idea

"Yeah, just let the master do it for you!"

"'ATS ENOUGH!" a loud voice boomed from the crowd as Rubeus Hagrid came forward cradling a bundle of blankets- a moving bundle of blankets.

"Harry!" Sirius cried out rushing forward only to find himself at the wrong end of Albus Dumbledore's wand.

"Sir?" Hagrid asked slightly timidly

"Yes, Hagrid?" Dumbledore answered his eyes still fixed on Sirius

"If, Sirius 'ad done I' why would 'e be back 'ere?"

Dumbledore looked pensive then lowered his wand "Severus?"

Hogwarts's most loathed Professor stepped forward "Sir?"

'You have Veritaserum in your potion stores at Hogwarts"

"Yes"

"Accio" Dumbledore summoned Sirius motorbike helmet

"Portus" he thrust it into Snapes hands causing him to disappear into thin air.

'Thank-you" Sirius whispered as he watched his godson struggling to get to him, dismayed by the fact that he couldn't comfort the boy.

Suddenly a thought accrued to him 'Where is James?" he asked Remus worriedly.

Remus looked disgusted as he answered "That _son-of-a-bitch_ was with some slut when the attack happened!"

"WHAT!" Sirius couldn't believe what he was hearing _'has James changed that much?'_

"You heard me, he was out getting laid while his wife was getting murdered!"

"THAT SCUM-BAG!" Sirius said angrily "WHEN I GET MY HANDS ON HIM-"

He was cut off by the reappearance of Severus Snape who was clutching a small bottle of a clear, glistening potion –Veritaserum.

Snape smirked as he handed it to Dumbledore, "Bottoms up".

Sirius glared at his childhood nemesis as Dumbledore tipped the potion into his mouth.

"What is your name?"

"Sirius Black"

"Are you a death eater?"

"No"

"Were you the Potter's secret keeper?"

"No"

Snape looked as if Christmas had been cancelled.

"Do you know who was?"

"Peter Pettigrew".

"Can I see my Godson now?" Sirius asked irritably as the potion wore off,

'Of course" Dumbledore replied 'Hagrid?"

Sirius took his godson who immediately threw his arms around his neck and buried his face in his chest.

"I'm sorry, Padfoot" Remus said sincerely, placing a hand on his shoulder

"Me too, Moony"

"Why would you be sorry"?

'I thought you were the traitor"

"Oh"

"I was an idiot"

"So was I"

'Friends?"

"Marauders" Remus said firmly.

"What's going to happen to Harry?" Sirius asked Dumbledore

Albus sighed, he looked weary and he signature eye-twinkling was gone. 'James as it would seem, is no were to be found"

'Does he know, about Lily?"

"Of that I am certain"

"How?"

"I sent him a letter with Fawkes, he can find anyone"

"But how can you be sure?"

Dumbledore took a small piece of paper out of his robes and handed it to Sirius.

_Look after Harry, I won't be coming back._

_James Potter_

Sirius' hands were shaking with anger "That bastard" he hissed, "That bastard"

"Take Harry to your home, that is, if you want to" Dumbledore told him

"Of course I want to!" Sirius said angrily.

And then he dissaperated away to his Hogsmeade home,

Dumbledore sighed "Well, ladies and Gentlemen, we have a certain Peter Pettigrew to find".


	4. To mourn the fallen

TRYING TO PICK UP THE PIECES

Chapter four: To mourn the fallen.

---------------------

_Dumbledore took a small piece of paper out of his robes and handed it to Sirius._

_Look after Harry, I won't be coming back._

_James Potter_

---------------------

Sirius Black sat on his bed holding his Godson in his arms,

'Pafooh?" Harry whispered

"Yes Harry, Padfoot's here and I'm going to look after you"

"Where's mama?"

'Your-your mother is-"

He couldn't say it, he couldn't accept it tears streamed down his face as he choked out one word "Gone".

'You leave too' Harry asked fearfully, tears were silently pouring down his face too. Even though he was little over one-year-old he knew somehow that neither his mother nor father were coming back.

'No Harry, never" Sirius said as he hugged his Godson close.

"I'm never going to leave you" Sirius whispered as he buried his face into his Godson's messy hair.

Harry snuggled into Sirius's chest,

"I love you, Pafooh," he said sleepily as his eyes closed.

'I love you too, kiddo"

Harry Potter fell asleep that night to the sound of his godfather singing a lullaby that lily had always sung to her son on stormy nights.

---------------------

Miles away, a man with messy, black hair and round glasses gazed sadly at a picture of a beautiful redhead holding a small baby.

"You weren't suppose to get hurt" he whispered to the pair.

Then he ripped the picture in half and let it fall to the ground.

He got into a car that was parked a few meters away.

'Ready, darling?" he asked a blonde haired woman in the passenger seat.

"Yes, oh, this is so exciting we can start new lives together, no more sneaking around and hiding" she replied

"Yeah, great" he said sadly as he watched the picture halves blow away.

As the pair drove, rain started to pour from the heavens: Lily Evans-Potter was weeping for her son on that Halloween's eve.

---------------------

Back in Hogsmeade, Sirius was laying his Godson down in a cot he had conjured as he finished the song:

"_And do not worry about the rain,_

_For you are safe, my baby boy,_

_Safe always in my arms"_

---------------------

And it was on this bittersweet day that the world wept and laughed at the same time. On this day the world fare welled Lily Evens-Potter. The day of a great triumph and an even greater loss. The day a Godson and Godfather grieved together.


	5. Waiting in the dark

TRYING TO PICK UP THE PIECES

Chapter five: Waiting in the dark.

----------------------

Dumbledore sighed, "Well, ladies and Gentlemen, we have a certain Peter Pettigrew to find".

_---------------------_

Peter Pettigrew lay in a cell in Azkaban, a tattered blanket wrapped around him as he tried to stay warm.

'_Warmth?'_ he thought bitterly, as a Dementor glided past causing him to shiver, _'Warmth is a luxury these hooded bastards don't allow you to have'._

That was the way of Azkaban- no warmth, no comfort and no forgiveness for your sins.

Just – madness, grief and death, the stench of death hangs heavy in that place.

Peter slipped into a fitful sleep, because, in Azkaban only escape from your haunting demons is death. To become on of the masses that took their own lives, many a time Peter would see the Dementors burying the lifeless body of a former prisoner.

With sleep out of the question, Peter had no choice but to remember.

He gazed around his dark cell that he had Dumbledore to thank for; it had no windows and no doors just a hatch they threw food through that had about six padlocks on the other side.

"NO CRACKS FOR YOU TO CRAWL OUT THIS TIME, WORMTAIL!" the memory of Sirius' words echoed in his mind, they had been the last thing he had heard before they dragged him to this hell on earth.

Peter had noticed that Sirius had not had Harry with him at the trail _'Wouldn't want the little brat to be traumatized for life by the sight of me, would we?' _he thought a smile playing on his lips.

Peter would have his vengeance.

Not for his master.

Screw his master.

For himself.

On the bastards that put him there.

Harry and Dumbledore.

He would wait for his chance.

Wait in the dark.


End file.
